30
dry and hot cereal, toast, rolls, bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, coffee, milk, and tea; and
dinners consisting of canned and fresh vegetables, varying meat dishes, soup, cake, pie,
cookies, fruit, and salad. Aside from the presence of female kitchen workers, this, too,
was a predominantly male zone. Though women and families were allowed to eat in the
dining hall, they rarely did so. Single men or families who wanted more of a restaurant
experience had the option of eating at the Fountain Lunch, located in the southeast corner
of the rec hall building. It mostly served burgers and milkshakes.
By contrast to the dorm residents, those who lived in the chalets were among the
longest-term residents of Holden, and they included the General Manager, the office
manager, the superintendents of the mine, mill, and shops, some of the engineering staff,
and some of the office workers. There were 12 family-style chalets; Chalet 3 housed
bachelor engineers. Chalet 2 served as a guest house, typically reserved for visiting
Howe Sound company officers, and also for visitors from universities and other
companies who came to learn more about Howe Sound’s methods.
Who lived in which
chalet was a reflection of position and rank within the operation. Certain houses were
assigned to certain positions, and, generally, the lower-numbered houses (corresponding
to a lower position on the hill), belonged to employees of higher rank, though not
necessarily in a consistent order. Chalet 1, which borders the road, was the General
Ibid. Miles recalls that the men complained about the lack of variety in their meals despite the general
quality and abundance of the food served. The dining hall is also referred to as the mess hall by many
sources, but has been called the dining hall throughout the Village era.
Although the current Village Snack Bar, which occupies the same space as the Fountain Lunch, only offers
ice cream and milkshakes, it has more seating than its predecessor. The area at the southern end, currently
occupied by chairs and tables, used to be set aside for storage. According to Linda Powell Jensen, the
downstairs space known as “the Lift,” which is now used mostly for music and talent shows, was freezer
space for the Fountain Lunch.
The houses in the townsite were not referred to as chalets during the mining days, but are called such
here for the sake of consistency.